Pete Rose Eligible for Baseball Hall of Fame After Reinstatement

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred announced Tuesday that MLB has officially lifted the lifetime suspensions on Pete Rose and Shoeless Joe Jackson, reinstating both players posthumously. The policy change overrides decades-long suspensions due to notorious sports betting scandals and opens the door for potential Hall of Fame inductions beginning as early as 2028.

The switch comes eight months after Rose's death at 83. It also arrived the evening of the Cincinnati Reds' tribute to the late player, formally designated as Pete Rose Night.

The move marks the first time that MLB has altered the scope of its "permanent ineligibility" rule since its creation. The decision also affects 17 individuals, including all eight 1919 Chicago White Sox team members, otherwise infamously referred to as the Black Sox.

Manfred credited a rethinking of the initial intent behind Rule 21 - prohibiting wagers on baseball games - with the rationale for his decision. In a letter to attorney Jeffrey Lenkov, who had handled Rose's latest filing, he reiterated that the rules had two purposes: to exclude participants who could ruin the game from competing and to deter future abuses.

"In my view, once an individual has passed away, the purposes of Rule 21 have been served," Manfred added. 

Rose's suspension began in 1989, following an investigation by lawyer John Dowd that found Rose had wagered multiple times on Reds games while acting as player and manager from 1985 to 1987. The permanent ineligibility was negotiated with then-Commissioner A. Bartlett Giamatti.

Despite constant appeals for reinstatement, including a prominent petition in 2015, Rose remained away from all MLB activities until his death. 

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MLB ruling only fuels eligibility debate

Jackson, a White Sox star outfielder between 1908 and 1920, was suspended for his suspected role in the 1919 World Series scandal, despite questionable evidence of his involvement. Jackson batted .375 in the series and made no fielding errors, an act that has contributed to ongoing public and historical controversy regarding the justice of his suspension.

Rose and Jackson's Hall of Fame worthiness has been contentious among historians, fans, and baseball pundits. The National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, has a policy of not including anyone "permanently ineligible" on the ballot.

With the new interpretation of that policy, Rose and Jackson may now be considered solely based on their performance on the field and not off-field behavior.

Rose's playing career, 1963 to 1986, was replete with numerous MLB records. He holds the record for all-time hits (4,256), games played (3,562), at-bats (14,053), plate appearances (15,890), and singles (3,215). 

He was also the National League Rookie of the Year in 1963, MVP in 1973, and World Series MVP in 1975. Rose had three NL batting titles and was the leader on several championship teams while playing for the Reds.